Demi Crooks always wanted to be a Mum. But she never knew that her journey into Motherhood would be so challenging nor that it would threaten to take her life. After two gruelling rounds of IVF - Demi successfully conceived her first son River.  It was a mentally and physically challenging three years - Demi thought the worst was over but the journey was just beginning. After River was born, Demi developed what Doctors called the ‘worst case of Mastitis they’d seen in 25 years.’ It left her literally fighting for her life for 16 days in hospital as she developed sepsis, had multiple surgeries and a secondary infection of Deep Vein Thrombosis which threatened to clot in her heart. All the while, River’s dad, Aston was learning to bottle feed and settle his three week old boy by himself. To make matters worse it was one of the busiest times in the WA grain farming calendar. It was seeding. This is Demi's story. 

Birdsnest is based in Cooma, NSW and they’ve helped Aussie women find outfits they love for over 20 years. Enjoy personalised style picks, outfit ideas, and videos. Shop by body shape or style, sizes 8–24, with express delivery and 365-day returns at birdsnest.com.au. 

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When Jenny Lutz became a mum at 22, she had no idea how profoundly her world was about to change. After a traumatic birth and months of sleepless nights, her baby boy Greg cried constantly, struggled to feed, and couldn’t be soothed. Living rurally in Queensland, Jenny faced exhaustion, isolation, and heartbreak, navigating early motherhood with no answers and little support. It wasn’t until Greg was 11 that she finally received the diagnosis she’d spent years searching for: autism. In a time when few in rural Australia even knew what that meant, Jenny’s fierce determination to understand and advocate changed everything. By founding the South Burnett Autism Support Group, she’s spent three decades helping regional families find the understanding and connection she once went without. Her story is one of love, survival, and hope... proof that from the hardest chapters of motherhood can come extraordinary strength and lasting change. 

Birdsnest is based in Cooma, NSW and they’ve helped Aussie women find outfits they love for over 20 years. Enjoy personalised style picks, outfit ideas, and videos. Shop by body shape or style, sizes 8–24, with express delivery and 365-day returns at birdsnest.com.au. 

JUCA is the Australian brand delivering chef-crafted, nutritious baby meals right to your door, Australia-wide. Made with 100% whole foods and no nasties, every pouch is bursting with flavour. Created by a Michelin-starred chef using premium local ingredients. Discover real food joy for your little one at juca.au.

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From a childhood spent building fences and mustering cattle on her family’s remote Northern Territory station, to life in a Swiss city where she could see France from her balcony, Megan Holzwart’s story is one of grit, adventure, and deep reflection on motherhood. After years abroad, she’s now back in the bush, raising two young kids in Katherine and running KICS- the Katherine Isolated Children's Service, a remote, mobile playgroup for socially and geographically isolated children and families. Today, Megan shares her incredible journey - from the challenges of birthing a breech baby in a foreign country, to navigating postpartum anxiety alone during a European lockdown, to rediscovering her roots and redefining what motherhood means on her own terms. This is a story about choosing adventure over comfort and how one woman’s journey from the outback to overseas and back again is supporting the future of rural families in Australia. 

At KRB, boarding is about balance, excellence in learning, and care that supports every girl’s wellbeing. It’s where potential is realised every day, and where confidence grows. Learn more at www.krb.nsw.edu.au/boarding

With 100% whole foods, no preservatives, no filler fruits, and nothing artificial, JUCA gives babies the chance to explore flavours beyond sweet, setting them up for a lifelong appreciation of healthy, delicious food. Shipping to the doorstops of families Australia-wide, visit juca.au. 

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Before she was known as The Jungle Doctor, travelling the world as a wildlife vet, dehorning rhinos in South Africa and fitting elephants with prosthetics, Dr Chloe Buiting was a barefoot kid in the bush on Lord Howe Island. That tiny island sparked her lifelong fascination with the natural world and taught her what it means to belong...to live close to nature and be shaped by it. Today, Chloe is a conservationist and mother of two on Kangaroo Island, splitting her year between global work with Fauna & Flora International and the Earthshot Prize, and hands-on fieldwork across Africa and Asia. She’s dined with David Attenborough, darted rhinos from helicopters, and is raising her children between continents.
Behind the adventure is a story about belonging — building a home while constantly on the move, finding community across the world, and reconciling motherhood with a calling that takes her to the wildest corners of the planet.
This is Dr Chloe Buiting’s remarkable story.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 | PANDA support line: 1800 595 212 | Gidget Foundation 

From the bush to the bay, KRB Boarding offers girls the best of both worlds: a strong education, care for their wellbeing, and a place that feels like home by the harbour. That peace of mind is what families have trusted at KRB since 1882. Visit  www.krb.nsw.edu.au/boarding

JUCA is the Australian company redefining how we feed our little ones. Created by a Michelin-starred chef using premium local ingredients, JUCA offers 100% whole food baby meals with no preservatives or fillers. Delivered Australia-wide, they inspire flavourful, adventurous eating from the very first bite. Head to juca.au

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Once upon a time, in the small farming town of Finley in southern New South Wales, there was a boy who spent his afternoons chasing footies across dusty paddocks and helping his parents on the land. That boy grew up to be one of the greatest AFL forwards the game has ever seen. Today, I chat with three-time premiership player, father of three and Geelong legend, Tom Hawkins. As you’ll hear, for Tom, life was never just about football. It was about family. About home. About the kind of hard work that doesn’t end when the whistle blows. After 17 seasons, in 2024, Tom retired from professional AFL. He traded the stadium lights for sunrises over the paddocks - raising three kids with his wife Emma, catching calves instead of taking marks, and rediscovering what it means to be grounded.  These days, he’s building a new chapter with Nutrien Ag Solutions, working closely with farmers across Victoria while running a small cattle property of his own.

In this rare conversation, Tom opens up about it all. The highs and lows of his career, the grief of losing his mum too young, the guilt that comes with missing moments as a dad, and the quiet joy of finding purpose again…this time, on the land.

As we wrap up this season of Father Land, thanks to our sponsor, Nutrien Ag Solutions, for backing the stories that matter. From field days to community grants, Nutrien proudly supports rural Australia. Drop into your local branch or visit nutrienagsolutions.com.au/find-a-branch to see what’s happening near you. 

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Claire Brett’s story begins in a country pub on the NSW/QLD border — a lively, dusty place where everyone knew your name. But after losing her dad at just five, grief became a quiet thread through her life. Years later, on a farm in Kentucky, NSW, Claire and her husband Jake built a life together and welcomed their first child... until pregnancy loss changed everything. While trying for her second baby, Claire endured five miscarriages in a row, each one testing her strength, faith, and identity. In this episode, she opens up about love, loss, and finding meaning again. Through her work with Pink Elephants and Lighting the Way, she now helps support rural and regional women navigating miscarriage and pregnancy after loss. October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, and Claire's story is one of the heartbreak and hope that so many rural women experience. 

Support: www.pinkelephants.org.au

Red Nose Grief & Loss Support 24/7 support line: 1300 308 307 

At Kincoppal-Rose Bay, boarding means belonging, friendship, and support — everything a daughter needs to feel at home while striving for her best. That’s the balance nurtured since 1882. See the boarding experience firsthand at www.krb.nsw.edu.au/boarding

JUCA is the Australian company changing the face of pouch baby meals. JUCA ships directly to families across Australia, reaching even the most remote tiny taste buds. Their savoury baby meal range is crafted by a Michelin-starred chef using premium local Australian ingredients. Explore the range at juca.au
.

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What does it really mean to do the work before becoming a dad? For today's guest, Queensland farmer Dave Woods, fatherhood wasn’t something he wanted to just stumble into.  He wanted to be prepared. So, long before he and his wife Alice welcomed their three children, Dave confronted his own mental health struggles head-on, determined to build the kind of stability he hoped his kids would grow up with. In this conversation, Dave opens up about growing up on his family’s farm, the pressures of succession, and the often-silent battles rural men face.  He talks candidly about depression, ego, and the culture of stoicism in the bush - and how alternative approaches gave him the tools to change his life. It’s this work that led him to become a 2025 Nuffield Scholar, focusing his research on why, despite increasing investment, rural Australia’s mental health challenges are not improving. His story is one of courage, challenging the status quo, and what it takes to become the kind of father you always hoped you’d be.

Father Land is proudly sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions — delivering expert agronomy advice to help Australian growers thrive.

Explore their Win Big promotion and Digital Crop Insurance Tool today to grow smarter, save time, and boost productivity this season. 

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When journalist Virginia Tapscott became a mum, she thought she’d be back at work within six months. But motherhood had other plans. Raised on a cattle and cropping farm near Narrabri, Virginia had built a career telling stories that mattered, first in the city and later back in the bush she loved. But once she became a mother, life on the farm with young children gave her a front-row seat to the invisible labour of care. Balancing paid work with childcare drop-offs, she realised what society calls “work” often overlooks the unseen labour mothers do at home — the sleepless nights, the meals, the emotional load. That realisation fuelled her advocacy. Through the Parents Work Collective and her new book All Mothers Work, Virginia is challenging how our systems undervalue the job of raising children. This is her story. 

Support services:

1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 

Lifeline on 13 11 14

Kincoppal-Rose Bay Boarding is a second home where balance, care, and belonging come first. For rural and regional families, it’s a place where girls grow in confidence and discover their potential. Visit www.krb.nsw.edu.au/boarding

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What does it mean to be a good man in the bush? For Matthew Tonkin, the answer has transformed over time. Growing up the youngest of five on his family’s farm near the NSW–Queensland border, Matthew believed a man’s worth was in hard work and providing for his family. But as farm debt and expectations mounted, he equated strength with silence—a silence that led to drinking, despair, and darkness. Seven years sober, Matthew now speaks openly about vulnerability, self-respect, and caring for yourself so you can care for others. As a father of four, grandfather, and leader in agriculture, he’s found a new kind of strength rooted in compassion, discipline, and connection. This episode explores masculinity, resilience, and hope—how one man remade his life, and what his journey reveals about the men raising families and running farms across rural Australia.

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Sober in the Country 

Father Land is proudly sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions. Get unmatched market access, expertise and results for your livestock and wool. Talk to your local team today:

 www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/livestock
www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/wool

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12 years ago, Piers Dumaresq walked away from the high-flying world of Sydney wealth management, to return home to the family farm in Tasmania with his future wife. On paper, it looked like a tree-change success story: a 200-year-old family farm, marriage, two children, and a future firmly rooted in the soil.  But behind the original stone buildings of Mount Ireh, life wasn’t as simple on the family front.  Piers’s marriage ended when his children were still little, and in the aftermath he found himself confronting not just the realities of co-parenting and running a farm, but the deeper question of who he was as a man and a father.  He hit rock bottom, then rebuilt—choosing to put his kids first, reshaping the family business, and doing the hard personal work to heal. Today, Piers opens up about life on the land, fatherhood, the reason he believes so many marriages fail, and what it means to rebuild after loss while carrying a very big family legacy forward. This is his story.

Get in touch with Pier's via https://divorce-recovery-guide.com/ 

Nutrien has teamed up with the VFF to help farmers facing record-breaking dry conditions by connecting them with drought relief grants, practical resources, and vital mental health support. Nutrien is also helping farmers prepare for tomorrow, with sustainability services that measure and manage environmental impacts like soil health and greenhouse gas emissions. 

• https://www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/sustainability
• https://www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/vff-and-nutrien-ag-solutions-team-help-drought-hit-victorian-farmers 

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